Rebirth
by SonsOfAFallenGod
Summary: Ichigo is visiting Rukia after Aizen's defection, but their reunion is interrupted by a massive surge of spirit energy coming from sokyokyu hill. Ichigo investigates and finds two strangers fighting. One of the strangers is a certain one winged angel! What does Sephiroth want? Who is he fighting? First fan-fic so please R/R! OC-centric in later chapters.
1. Interrupted

Ichigo was visiting the Soul Society to check on Rukia. He had stopped the execution, but he was still concerned. Aizen was still out there somewhere and Ichigo was sure that no one was safe as long as Aizen was free. Rukia seemed conflicted. Ichigo sensed she was glad to be alive and yet she had been opposed to being reescued.

As usual they were arguing about something trivial. They could hardly say hello sometimes without starting a debate. Ichigo was mid-shout when he first felt it.

"What do you mean I shouldn't be here?! If it wasn't for me you-" Ichigo stopped his diatribe and quickly asked "Did you feel that just now?"

Rukia nodded, "Yes. This is the most intense spiritual pressure I've ever felt!"

"You think it's Aizen?" Ichigo asked but before the words even left his mouth he realized it wasn't.

"No, Aizen's spiritual pressure had a different...feel to it than this. But that raises an important question."

"Yeah, if it's not Aizen then who is it?" Ichigo shrugged his shoulders before saying, "I'll just go stop them, doesn't matter who it is." He ran off outside even as he spoke.

"Ichigo, wait!" Rukia yelled out after him, but by then he was already gone.

As he ran up the hill the spiritual pressure centered around Ichigo realized that it was the same hill that Rukia had nearly been executed on. Whatever was going on was happening at the top of Sokyoku Hill. Ichigo suppressed a small laugh, it seemed that every other day something was going on here.

As he neared the top of the hill Ichigo began to notice the sound of clanging metal. So either there was a superpowered blacksmith up here or there was a fight going on. Ichigo suspected it was the the latter.

When he finally did reach the top Ichigo could hardly believe what he saw.

"What the Hell?!" Ichigo mutterred.

The apex of the hill looked as though a nuke had gone off. In the epicenter of the destruction stood two men Ichigo didn't recognize. On the left stood a tall man with long silver hair and a sword nearly twice the length of a standard Zanpaku-to. He was wearing a black and silver trench coat with boots and gloves to match.

To the right was a man with hair so dark it shone blue in the was dressed almost like a Soul Reaper except for a few hints of red. He was roughly the same height as the other man. His sword was longer than the average Zanpaku-to but not nearly as long as the other man's.

Neither man looked like a Soul Reaper so naturally Ichigo yelled," Hey! What the hell are you guys doing?!"

The black haired man turned to face Ichigo and as he did Ichigo noticed a thin scar crossing over his left eye. The stranger yelled, "Stay back, Soul Reaper! This does not concern you!"

The silver haired man smirked, "Why do you try to stop him, Dengen? Let him come, he poses no threat to either of us. If I didn't know better I'd say you were trying to protect him. Don't bother. Once I kill you then this world is next."

The silver haired man's voice turned Ichigo's blood to ice. What he said just made it that much worse. He was discussing mass murder and genocide as casually as if he were talking about the weather. Ichigo swallowed and screamed, "What have these people done to deserve to die?!"

"You sound upset." The silver haired man replied, "Don't be. These people must die so that they may serve their true purpose."

The other man - Dengen- roared, "As if I'd let that happen! I'll never let you desecrate the souls of dead just to feed your own vanity, Sephiroth!"

Ichigo didn't understand what they were talking about but he guessed that Sephiroth was a bad guy. He wasn't sure about Dengen, but right now Sephiroth was the problem and that was all that mattered.

Ichigo drew Zangetsu and ran toward Sephiroth but Dengen cut him off and said, "Don't try to be a hero. Sephiroth is way more than you can handle."

"It doesn't matter," Ichigo answered, "I can't run away just because he's stronger than me. He's trying to kill us all so I have to fight him. It's that simple."

Ichigo charged in toward Sephiroth and yelled, "Getsugatensho!" A blue crescent-moon shaped blast of energy erupted from Ichigo's sword and shot toward the silver haired villian. Sephiroth didn't even try to avoid the attack. With a deafening boom it collided with Sephiroth and exploded.

Dust hung in the air for a few seconds before Sephiroth's icy voice split the silence, "Is that all?"

And then Sephiroth cleaved through the dust with a single swing of his oversized sword instanteously clearing the air. He then shook his head and said, "Pathetic. I will enjoy crushing your worthless dreams."

A few minutes later Ichigo was still trying to hurt Sephiroth anyway he could, but nothing seemed to work. Sephiroth was toying with him, trying to crush his spirit before killing him.

_Where the hell is Dengen?_ Ichigo thought,_ Why isn't he helping right now?_ As if in response to his thoughts Ichigo heard Dengen yell, "Obliterate!"

Ichigo barely had time to think before a massive bolt of lightning struck directly inbetween him and Sephiroth with such force it knocked him out cold.


	2. Back-up Arrives!

. Rukia had alerted the captains as soon as Ichigo had bolted out the door. Despite her frantic pleas the Head Captain refused to authorize any official action. Soi Fon wouldn't help without orders. Unohana said she was there to help the wounded and nothing more. She couldn't find Konamura or Shunsui. Kenpachi was sleeping. Mayuri said he wasn't interested. And Ukitake was having one of his bad days and couldn't get out of bed.

So Rukia only managed to recruit Toshiro and Byakuya to come along. As her make-shift rescue team rushed toward the ever increasing spiritual pressure Rukia began to notice that it wasn't coming from one person like she intially thought but instead she sensed three distinct auras. One was clearly Ichigo, but she was astounded to find out that his was by far the weakest of the three. Whoever the other two were they were far more powerful than anyone Rukia had ever met. One question kept repeating itself in her head, _What are these people?_

At long last the top of the hill came into view revealing Ichigo fighting against a strange silver haired man. Off to the side stood another man she didn't know with jet black hair. Before she could see much else she was surprised to hear her brother gasp. She turned to ask what was wrong but she was cut off by the black haired man's voice, "Obliterate!" She turned to the voice just in time to see a massive bolt of lightning land between Ichigo and his adversary.

"Ichigo!" Rukia screamed. She started to run to him but Toshiro held her back.

"Wait! It's too dangerous!" yelled the squad ten captain. "I don't care! I have to help him!" Rukia shouted back. She pushed Toshiro out of the way and ran forward.

"Stop! You'll just get caught in the crossfire!" A stranger's voice yelled. Rukia turned to face him and saw him clearly for the first time. She had no idea why but his face seemed vaguely familiar.

"Who...are you?"Rukia asked.

"Dengen." he stated simply as if that answered everything.

"But I mea-" Rukia started to say before she was cut off.

"Save your questions. If we both survive this I might answer them." Dengen said, "Right now, we have bigger problems like the fallen hero with a god complex over there." He pointed toward the cloud of dust.

The sounds of fighting had stopped but there was still a pervading sense of unease.

"Is it over?" Toshiro asked.

"No, it isn't. Look." Byakuya answered.

Everyone looked toward the area Byakuya had indicated and saw a lone figure struggling to stand up. Before anyone could identify him he yelled,"Next time watch your aim, Dengen! You could've killed me!"

Rukia smiled and shouted, "Ichigo! Are you alright?"

"I'm fine...barely." replied Ichigo.

Rukia looked over at Dengen and noticed for the briefest of moments a slight smile cross his lips before it disappeared as quickly as it came. That was when Dengen called out, "Where's Sephiroth?"

A few minutes of searching later and they hadn't found anything. No body, not even a trace of him ever being there in the first place. Until Rukia looked up. She saw Sephiroth floating above them, held aloft by a single black wing sprouting out of his right shoulder.

"He's up there!" she screamed.

Just as the words escaped her Sephiroth swooped down toward her with his sword raised.


	3. Flashback! Byakuya Chases Lightning!

Byakuya had sensed the spiritual pressure before Rukia had told him but he had been hesitant to act without orders. When Rukia arrived he could see she would try to help Ichigo with or without his help. He remembered his promise to Hisana to always protect Rukia. He knew that Rukia stood no chance alone and so he came along.

As they had neared the top Byakuya sensed a strange familiarity about the spiritual pressure. When they finally reached the top Byakuya understood. He understood but he couldn't believe it. Ichigo was fighting Sephiroth.

A while back the Soul Society began receiving reports of a group of murdered Soul Reapers in the world of the living. The Head Captain decided not to take any chances and sent Byakuya to investigate.

Upon arriving in the world of the living, Byakuya went to find where the soul reapers were killed. When he found the location where the slaughter took place he was surprised to find the bodies still laying there. He realized that humans couldn't see them anyway. He began to investigate the bodies, looking for any clues as to what might have happened.

A few minutes into the search Byakuya heard the roll of thunder. He had not noticed but it had started to rain. Before long a massive thunderstorm had gathered. Strangely, Byakuya sensed immense spirit energy in the center of the storm.

Before Byakuya had time to figure out the cause of the storm a single jet black bolt of lightning struck the ground a few feet from him. The lightning was clearly not a normal bolt. Out of nowhere, a stranger appeared wearing a black business suit. He had long jagged black hair with a thin scar crossing his left eye.

"Did you do this?" Byakuya asked.

" No, but I know who did." The stranger replied.

"Who?"

" A psychopath named Sephiroth."

"Why would I believe you? You are the only person nearby who could have done this. You must admit that looks suspicious."

" Think about it. If I had done this I would not have appeared like this. I would have moved on and left this behind me. Why would I announce myself like this?"

" Maybe you're just suicidal and reckless." The stranger laughed at that.

" It's been said before, by the way my name's Dengen."

Dengen turned as if to leave them look back at Byakuya and said," You coming? Think about it, at worst I'm leading you into a trap, but you look like you can handle yourself."

" Fine, I'll follow you. If I so much as if think something's wrong I will kill you myself."

" You can try." Dengen said with a smile. He reached out and placed a hand on Byakuya's shoulder and said, "Instead of following me it would be simpler for me to just show you. It would be quicker too."

Byakuya smacked his hand away, "I think I can keep up with you."

Dengen chuckled, "Let's see if you can keep up with lightning."

With that Dengen vanished into a black lightning bolt which arced high into the sky above them. Byakuya used his flash step to stay as close as he could to the bolt but it was all he could do to keep the lightning in sight. He followed Dengen for what felt like hours they crossed over cities, rivers and even a mountain.

Dengen eventually stopped over a ominous looking cave. With a blinding flash the lightning bolt Dengen was traveling in struck the ground outside the cave entrance and Dengen emerged from the light. He looked different somehow and it took Byakuya a minute to understand why. Dengen had somehow changed his clothes on the trip. Instead of the black suit he had been wearing he was now clad in a pair of dark jeans and a black sleeveless shirt. His shirt had a silver dragon etched across the chest.

"Why the change of clothes?" Byakuya asked.

"Oh, yeah. I can't fight in that suit." Dengen replied.

"Why not?" Byakuya inquired.

"Suits are not fun to fight in."

"Fun?"

"Yeah," Dengen answered, "Anyway we didn't stop here to discuss my wardrobe. Sephiroth is just inside." He looked over at Byakuya, "You can feel it, can't you?"

Byakuya nodded. He could sense immense power coming from the cave. "That much energy is coming from one person?" he asked.

Dengen scracthed his head "I'm not sure "person" is the right word for Sephiroth. Not anymore."

"What is he?" Byakuya asked.

"Sephiroth is one of the three strongest beings alive that I know of." Dengen smiled before continuing, "So... are you going to help me kill him or not?"

"One last question. You said he was one of the three strongest people alive. Why don't we try to get assistance from one of the other two?"

Dengen smiled, "You are getting help from one of the other two. Let's go."

As they entered the cave the spiritual pressure they had felt outside nearly doubled in power. It made breathing harder but it made a clear path for them to follow. The further in they got the more intense the pressure became. They eventually encountered a floating green tendril of energy.

"What is that?" Byakuya asked.

"Lifestream. The energy that makes up all living things." Dengen explained, "We need to hurry."

They hurried onward for what felt like hours through a winding labyrinth of dark caves. The lifestream seemed to be emanating from that direction as well.

Finally they reached the central depths of the cave there they saw something Byakuya would never be able to forget: they saw a pit descending into the core of the planet and from that pit the lifestream oozed out. The sight that would haunt Byakuya was the man standing at the edge of the pit absorbing the lifestream into his body somehow. The green tendrils of light were the only source of light in the cave and their eerie glow gave Sephiroth a truly frightening visage.

An unbelievably powerful aura emanated from Sephiroth, Byakuya could barely breathe just from being this close to him. His power was above even captain level, Byakuya understood that Dengen had not been exaggerating when he had said Sephiroth was one of the strongest people alive.

"What is he doing?" Byakuya inquired.

"He's trying to absorb the lifestream in order to increase his power even further." Dengen explained.

"What exactly is the lifestream?"

"Put simply, it's the blood of the planet. It's the source of all natural energy here in the world of the living. If Sephiroth gets what he wants then the planet would wither and die and the Soul Society would not be too far behind."

"What do you mean?"

"Well, the first problem the Soul Society would face is serious overcrowding. I don't think you're prepared to take on seven billion more residents." Dengen paused for a second before continuing, "Usually after a certain period of time souls are reincarnated, right? But what would happen if there was no world to be born on? The souls would get stuck in some kind of limbo between worlds unable to find peace." He shook his head and added "Of course that's assuming that Sephiroth doesn't use the power he would obtain to wipe out the Soul Society and absorb all of it's energy."

"The Soul Society's energy? You can't mean reishi?"

"That's exactly what I mean." Dengen replied.

"We must put a stop to this." Byakuya stated. He began to draw Senbonzakura but was interrupted by Sephiroth's icy calm voice, "You think you can stop me? Delusional little puppet. The both of you fail to understand that nothing can stop my ascension, least of all you two. Look at the you, a pathetic soul reaper so blinded by the law he would sacrifice his own family and a broken down shell of a man haunted by past mistakes. You cannot stop me for I am the chosen one. I am the one who was created to take this planet back from the ignorant traitors who inhabit it now."

Byakuya wondered how Sephiroth knew the things he did but before he could even formulate a question he was interrupted by Sephiroth saying, "I suppose that you and I are not that different Dengen, we've both spent most of our lives seeking power."

Dengen's spiritual pressure spiked and he said angrily, "I am _nothing_ like you."

Sephiroth smiled, "You're right. I never sold my soul get what I wanted."

At that Dengen lost it. Arcs of lightning began shooting in all directions and ricocheting around the enclosed space. Byakuya knew that if Dengen couldn't compose himself that they were both as good as dead. He shouted, "Calm yourself! Can't you see he wants you to lose control?!"

"No, I simply state facts." Sephiroth replied, "You can see it can't you, Dengen? You can see the people you've killed, the homes you've burned, the lives you destroyed. Think about that and answer me this- how are you any better than me?"

"I'VE SAVED PEOPLE!" Dengen shouted back.

Sephiroth smiled, "So have I. Or did you forget? I was called a hero once."

"ENOUGH!" Dengen screamed in a voice that sounded more animal than human. Byakuya noticed Dengen's palm had begun to glow blue. Dengen then yelled something else that Byakuya couldn't understand.

The lightning that had been dancing around the cave began increasing in speed and intensity until there were countless bolts cascading around the confines of the cave. It became impossible to avoid the bolts anymore, Byakuya put up a shield of spirit energy which proved to be a waste of time as the bolts cut right through. He looked over at Sephiroth and noticed that the blasts were barely affecting him.

Each bolt that connected weakened Byakuya considerably. He found it difficult to maintain consciousness under the constant barrage. Byakuya realized he had only one shot at surviving much longer in this environment.

"Bankai...Senbon-"

Byakuya's vision was blurring. He again tried to formulate the words but he fell back unable to even stand anymore. The last thing he heard was Sephiroth laughing.

Byakuya had awoken in his room in the Soul Society days later. When he had asked the servants how he had returned they told him that Rukia had been outside when a strange man had appeared carrying Byakuya. Rukia ran up to him and asked about her brother and the stranger had told her not to worry. Then in a flash the stranger had disappeared.


	4. Back To The Present

_**A/N- Sorry for the long time since last update, and sorry for the shortness of this chapter. Next chapter will be longer and probably be up later today.**_

Rukia stared up at Sephiroth. She was too shocked to move. Sephiroth had been in the epicenter of that massive lightning bolt earlier but he seemed completely unharmed. Not only was Sephiroth not hurt he was also flying, held aloft by a single black wing like some sort of fallen angel.

Rukia was the first to see him. After confirming she wasn't imagining things she called out to the others, "He's up there!"

Even as she screamed the news Sephiroth was flying toward her with his massive blade outstretched.

She closed her eyes. That was when the blade pierced through with a sickening sound. Rukia looked down and was immediately terrified by what she saw. Ichigo had jumped in front of her just before the sword struck. Ichigo had been impaled through the heart and hung lifeless at the end of Sephiroth's blade.

"No, no, no...NO!" Rukia cried, "Ichigo...you can't..."

Sephiroth's cool voice interrupted her, "Don't pretend you're sad, soul reaper."

"Pretend?! Ichigo is gone! Because of you!" Rukia barely managed to get out between sobs.

"There is no reason to pretend you're angry either. You're a soul reaper you could not possibly understand those emotions." Sephiroth's eyes gazed at Rukia intently before he added, "Why do you tremble with emotion that's not even there?"

"Not there?!" Rukia screamed. She instinctively went to draw her sword before she realized she had left it in her room this morning. She instead grabbed Ichigo's sword and swung it at Sephiroth. Sephiroth easily dodged the attack. He then threw Ichigo's lifeless body off of his blade.

Rukia dived after Ichigo. She couldn't let his body be treated like that. She caught him before he hit the ground and began to carry him away from the fighting when she heard what sounded like a stampede. She looked up and couldn't believe what she saw.

Dozens of soul reapers had arrived on the scene with weapons drawn.


	5. Mind of a Monster

Rukia wasn't the first to notice the incursion. Sephiroth had sensed them as soon as they had decided to intrude. He smiled slightly to himself. _Perfect, more vermin. It doesn't matter. Their fate was sealed the moment I arrived, all that's changed is the manner of their deaths. Now, I can watch as their dreams die and the life fades from their eyes._

Sephiroth had developed a plan to kill the new arrivals before they ever even saw him. The instant that Rukia had noticed them was the the instant that Sephiroth attacked. He swooped down and landed in front of the group of would be saviors. With a single swing he dispatched four of them. The rest quickly converged on him. He fought them off easily, but easy as it was it distracted him long enough for Rukia to drag Ichigo to safety. When the last of the attackers fell he looked up at who was left. Only Dengen, that small girl, and those pesky captains remained. Sephiroth studied them.

Neither of the captains had been involved in any of the fighting so far, so they were in perfect condition. Byakuya was no doubt still stunned by the very fact that Sephiroth was even here at all. The diminutive captain hadn't done anything yet. Perhaps, he thought he could strike when Sephiroth's guard was down. _Fools. You can't stop me. No one can._

The girl wasn't going to be a problem. She was still too distracted by the fate of her friend. _Idiot girl, _he thought. She seemed incapable of realizing that he wasn't dead. Not yet, anyway.

Finally, Sephiroth averted his gaze to Dengen. Sephiroth knew that he would be the only real challenge. No one else here even had a clue what he was even capable of. Dengen seemed to be growing impatient. A sentiment which Sephiroth shared.

"I'm running out of time to waste on the likes of you." Sephiroth said as he raised his right hand skyward, "It seems I have to resort to this sooner than I had anticipated."

In response to Sephiroth's words the sky darkened overhead. Black clouds blocked out the sun and turned the day into night. The most frightening change however, was the deep red glow emanating from above the Seireitei.

Dengen looked up at the sky with a worried look on his face, "Oh, no.", Were the only words he said.

"What is it?", The short captain asked.

"Meteor...", Came the reply.

"What?"

Dengen looked at the captain and said plainly,"All you need to know is that if we don't stop him before that connects, the world you know will be destroyed."

"Then," the shorter captain said, "Allow me to finish him."

"I shall help as well." Byakuya said, apparently overcoming his shock.

Together the two captains stepped forward until they were only a few feet separating them and Sephiroth.

Sephiroth calmly regarded his new opponents. With a sadistic smile he readied his weapon and said, "Let's finish this."


	6. Resolve to Fight

When Sephiroth had attacked Rukia, Ichigo had reacted instinctively and jumped out in front of her to shield her from danger. He didn't realize until too late that he was now in the direct path of Sephiroth's attack. He barely had time to even look before the blade pierced his chest.

He was only vaguely aware of anything. He struggled to see, in fact all of his senses were fading. He didn't even notice when he was thrown to the ground by Sephiroth.

In the inescapable blackness he now found himself in thoughts of what had led him here filled his mind. _Why did I come here? Rukia tried to warn me. But I didn't listen. I never do, I suppose. And then after I ran here, she brought Toshiro and Byakuya to help. _He felt a strange urge to laugh at that. _She always tries to clean up my messes somehow. Why does she even bother? _Another strange thought occurred to him, _How many times have I saved her life now? And how many has she saved mine? I've lost count. Let's see, when we first met she saved me. Then I stopped the execution. Today, Rukia might have saved me again. So, I guess this makes us even again._

Ichigo started to regain consciousness slightly. Just enough that he began to realize what condition his body was in. _Damn it, I'm losing a lot of blood. I can't tell what's going on. I can hear people fighting. But who is it? _Before he could make out who was fighting he heard what sounded like a girl crying nearby. He didn't know what it meant. _Damn, why didn't I bring the others? I should have brought them. Orihime would be very helpful right about now..._

Slowly, he began to regain his strength. He could tell that someone had tried to bandage him up and had treated the wound some, but they had just barely stopped the blood flow. Ichigo opened his eyes slightly and tried to take in his surroundings. He was lying near the edge of the hill, and Rukia was sitting next to him. He was shocked to see tears streaming down her face. Before he could say anything, he heard Dengen explain what was happening to Toshiro.

_What?! This bastard is actually trying to kill everyone! Well, there is no chance in Hell that I'm gonna let that happen!_

Gathering together all the strength he could muster, Ichigo began to sit up.

Rukia gasped, "I-Ichigo? Y-you're alive!" she could barely get the words out she was so surprised.

Ichigo picked up Zangetsu laying beside him and used it as leverage to stand up, "I can't die yet. Not with so many lives depending on me. I have to save them!"

He looked over at Byakuya and Toshiro, they were both heading towards Sephiroth, who just eyed them evilly.

Ichigo already knew just how hard it was to even touch Sephiroth. _They need my help! _With stern determination, he yelled, "Bankai!" as he underwent the familiar transformation he added, "Tensa Zangetsu." He felt a surge of energy partially heal his wound. Satisfied with his preparations Ichigo charged off to join in the rapidly evolving melee developing in front of him.


	7. Dance With The Devil

Dengen was watching Toshiro and Byakuya attacking Sephiroth. _Idiots. If they continue to fight at this level they'll just end up getting themselves killed. They're not even using their Bankai's. I can understand the short one not realizing the danger, but Byakuya should be able to remember the last time he encountered Sephiroth._

A sharp intake of breath behind him caught his attention. He turned and was shocked to see Ichigo struggling to his feet. _He can barely lift his sword, yet he is instinctively trying to get back in this fight. He reminds me of...him. Dumb asses, the both of them._ He smirked a little at that thought. Just then Ichigo tried to run past Dengen, but Dengen put his arm out to stop him.

Ichigo took a step back and said, "Get outta my way, Diggy, or whatever the hell your name is. I'm fine!"

"No, you're not." Dengen replied, "If you think having a gaping hole in your chest is fine, then that would make you the biggest idiot here. A rather impressive feat."

"Are you making fun of me?!" Ichigo asked incredulously.

"Depends," Dengen responded, "Do you think that just because you've used you've used your Bankai that you're suddenly invincible? Because you're not, not even close. You should run away and let the professionals handle this."

"Like hell! I'm not just gonna sit back and watch! I'm going to help!" Ichigo yelled.

Dengen smiled. _I was right, they are just alike. _"Fine. If you're dumb enough to keep fighting then I should be able to make sure you don't die right off the bat."

"What? How?" Ichigo inquired.

"I don't know if you've realized this yet but I can manipulate electricity in any form it takes." Dengen explained, "And in case you don't know, the brain send signals to the rest of the body via an electric current. If I release a small shock to the right parts of the brain then I can vastly improve your reflexes and healing rate. Not only that but I can drown your brain in so much adrenaline that you probably wouldn't even notice if you got hit. Do you understand what I'm saying?"

Ichigo looked confused, "You lost me at electricity..."

Dengen sighed, "Okay then, the short version. I shock you in the right place and you can keep fighting. That simple enough?"

"Why didn't you just say that in the first place?" Ichigo asked.

"You ready?"

"Yeah."

Dengen put his right hand on top of Ichigo's head, "I gotta warn you. This will probably hurt a little."

"I'm ready. Do it." Ichigo replied.

Dengen released the current. As soon as he did, Ichigo fell to the ground. He writhed around for a minute before standing back up and glared at Dengen, "Hurt a little? A LITTLE?!"

Dengen smirked and said, "If I had said that it would probably feel like being raped by a light socket would you have done it?"

"No!" Ichigo shouted defensively.

"And how do you feel now?"

"...Good." He admitted grudgingly.

"I wasn't lying about that, was I?"

"But you-" Ichigo started.

"Don't you have a fight to get to?" Dengen asked curiously.

Then Ichigo ran off to join the fight. Then Rukia asked, "Aren't you going to join them?"

"Not yet. I want to see if they even need my help." Dengen replied, "I don't like unnecessary heroism. Besides, you must have questions. I'm feeling generous, so I'll answer any one question. But only one."

Rukia hesitated, then it seemed like she realized something. She said, "You're not a Soul Reaper are you? What exactly are you?"

Dengen smirked, "That's two questions. But you're right. I am not a Soul Reaper. Or a hollow, obviously."

"But what are you? A Quincy like Uryu? A human with powers like Orihime? What?" Rukia persisted.

"None of the above. All you need to know is that I am not like anything you've ever seen before." Dengen responded evasively.

"That's not an answer." Rukia protested.

"It's the only one you're getting." Dengen responded, "Sorry."

Rukia looked like she was going to ask something else but then she stopped and said, "Fine."

Dengen smiled and said, "Since you're being such a good sport, I'll answer a question you didn't think to ask." He pointed over at Sephiroth, "What is he?"

"Fine, but after this is over you're telling me everything you're hiding!" Rukia said energetically.

"I wouldn't count on it," Dengen paused then added, "But back to Sephiroth. Technically he's human but that's a very loose definition. He's the product of science run amok. Before he was even born he underwent genetic modification, then he was separated from his parents and raised to be the ultimate soldier. An unthinking tool used to kill his employer's enemies. Then when he discovered what had been done to him...let's just say he didn't take it well. Now he's on a genocidal quest for vengeance. Any questions?"

"How ca he be human? He has wings!"

"Genetic modification." Dengen said slowly, putting emphasis on each syllable, "Remember that part?"

"How has no one killed you yet?" Rukia asked irritated.

"You make it sound like no one's ever tried." He laughed. Then he cracked his knuckles and said, "I guess it's about time for me to get to that appointment."

"What appointment?" Rukia asked suspiciously.

"A dance with the devil." Dengen drew his sword, "I hear it's not a good idea to keep him waiting."


	8. Umbra

Rukia was astounded just watching Dengen fight. Even amidst two captains' and Sephiroth's insane levels of power, Dengen stood out. His sheer power was unbelievable, he was above even captain-level. Dengen and Sephiroth seemed to be on nearly a equal level, as they were both able to block and counter one another with relative ease. Neither Byakuya nor Toshiro had been able to stop any of Sephiroth's attacks, in fact they had barely been able to avoid most of them. They both were covered in several deep cuts and bleeding heavily. Ichigo, on the other hand, hadn't received many new injuries since he hadn't had any opportunities to get in close. He had instead remained at a distance and blasted Getsugatensho's at Sephiroth. Most of them Sephiroth easily deflected, but a few did get through. However, they didn't seem to be very effectual. The fight continued in this fashion for several minutes until Sephiroth leaped back and asked, "Is this all you have?," he smirked, "Pathetic. Do you want this world to burn? If so, then I am all too happy to oblige you."

Toshiro and Byakuya exchanged glances. Byakuya nodded slightly, and Toshiro yelled, "Fine! We'll hit you with everything we have! Bankai!" as the massive dragon of ice formed around him Toshiro shouted, "Daigruen Hyrionmaru!"

Byakuya soon followed suit, "Senkei Senbonzakura Kageyoshi." Even as he said it, the entire Sokyoku hill was enveloped in a massive black sphere, lining the edges of the sphere were thousands of swords. Byakuya then explained, "This is what happens whenever I abandon any pretense of defense and focus solely on killing my enemy."

Sephiroth looked amused, "So, three of you are going all out. What about you Dengen? Why aren't you using your full power? You can't beat me like that, and you know it."

All eyes fell upon Dengen, and he said, "It's for their benefit. My power drains those near me. But, you are right. This isn't enough power to stop you. I guess I have no choice."

What happened next, Rukia could hardly believe. Dengen looked up and his eyes- which had been a dull silver- now shone a pale icy blue, but when Rukia blinked the color changed to a deep glowing crimson. This time she made sure not to close her eyes, and she saw the whites of his eyes fade to black. That's when Rukia first noticed the aura surrounding him. It was composed of three conflicting colors, blue, red, and black. It almost seemed like the various auras were trying to consume one another. Rukia had never sensed this much power radiating from one person before. Not even Aizen- whose spiritual pressure had been powerful enough to make her entire body go limp- could compare to this.

And that was only the beginning. Then Dengen stabbed his sword into the ground and shouted, "Hurtled into chaos, I fight as the world is engulfed in darkness! Umbra!"

That's when the transformation truly began. Dengen's skin started to darken until it was nearly impossible to see him inside of Byakuya's Senkei. After that a short set of spikes erupted from his shoulders tearing the fabric of his shirt. With one hand Dengen reached up and tore off the remaining pieces of the shirt and tossed them aside. After that the scar over Dengen's eye began to glow crimson and stretch down his face and to the rest of his body. The scar split into several different pathways once it reached his neck and began to cover the majority of his exposed body in glowing designs the color of blood.

At that point, Rukia noticed that she could no longer sense Dengen's presence anymore. It didn't make any sense. She knew that he was insanely powerful- she had felt that power earlier- but right now she could barely even tell that he was there. It gave her a creepy feeling. It was like he was a phantom or something.

Dengen looked back at Rukia and she noticed that his eyes had finally settled on a color, red. He gave her a worried look before shouting to Ichigo, "Get her out of here!"

"Why?!" Ichigo retorted.

"Because people who have low spiritual pressure can't be around me when I'm like this," Dengen explained, "It completely overwhelms their being. It can even be fatal."

Rukia hadn't noticed but her legs were shaking and she was beginning to feel faint. She nearly passed out before Ichigo made it over to her. She started to fall forward only to be caught by Ichigo and then carried away. This makes the second time that she had nearly died on that hill, she thought to herself bitterly.

As Ichigo carried her away he looked up at the sky. Meteor was getting closer. The sky was blood red and filled with storm clouds like something out of a nightmare. Rain was pouring, lightning crackled, and a funnel cloud had touched down in the Rukon District. The people down below were screaming like it was the end of the world and if they didn't stop Sephiroth then it would be.

Ichigo looked away, this isn't the time to worry about the weather he thought to himself. He turned and headed to the Kuchiki mansion with Rukia in tow.

As soon as Ichigo and Rukia had left the immediate vicinity Dengen turned and glared at Sephiroth, crimson eyes meeting pale green. Without any emotion or expression, he began to explain, his voice deeper and more menacing than before, "This...is Umbra. While in this state my powers are boosted beyond their normal threshold and I gain two new abilities. The only one of those abilities that you need to worry about right now is my ability to feed off of darkness. Darkness is my source of power," He gestured around him at the blackness around him, " Thanks to Byakuya's Senkei this entire hilltop is covered in shadows, granting me nearly unlimited power."

Sephiroth replied, "Overconfident as usual, just like your brother. You both believe that no one is a match for you. I will show you the depth of your arrogance."

Dengen smirked, "It seems that overconfidence is a trait we both share."

"Perhaps," Sephiroth responded, "But you made the mistake of telling me that your new found powers rely on shadows. All I have to do is burn through the darkness." With a wave of his hands, he conjured massive flames from the ground.

The flames cast a red glow over everyone nearby. The flames kept growing larger and larger until nearly all the shadows were gone.

Much to everyone's surprise, Dengen started laughing. With his new appearance and the light from the flames, he seemed truly frightening. He said, "Clever, Sephiroth. Very clever," the smile disappeared from his face as he added, "But I'm done playing around. You. Die. Now."

Dengen stepped forward completely ignoring his sword still stuck in the ground. Instead he spread his arms out and channeled what appeared to be pure darkness into each hand. The shadows in his hands looked like black flames as they twisted and morphed into twin swords. Both blades retained the appearance of the shadows that they had formed from. After the blades had formed four orbs of coalescing shadows and electricity formed, two on either side of him.

"Bind him." He stated calmly as he lowered his arms. Immediately the spheres all shot towards Sephiroth and wrapped themselves around his wrists and ankles, holding him in place.

Sephiroth's eyes widened, "H-how?!"

"You want to know why I'm still stronger than you, even after you removed the shadows?" Dengen asked, "I'll tell you. When I told you that darkness was my source of power you failed to realize what I meant. I didn't mean shadows caused by something obscuring the light, I meant the darkness that exists within someone's heart. As it so happens, the shadows within your heart are so dark that not even holy flames could cleanse them. The reason I'm so strong right now is because I'm drawing power from all of your hatred. Even now, your hate rises like an inferno. The more you struggle, the more you hate me, the more powerful I become. You cannot win this."

Sephiroth continued to struggle against his bonds. Dengen said with a hint of remorse, "I'm sorry it had to end like this. You were a hero once. I regret that you have to die like this," Dengen stabbed both of his black blades into Sephiroth's chest, one piercing his heart, before he said, "Nova."

The twin blades began to resonate and glow. Byakuya's Senkei began to dissipate and be absorbed into the swords in Sephiroth's chest. The blades also started to absorb the nearby flames as well.

A shocked Toshiro approached, "What's happening?!"

"All of the nearby energy is being drawn into those blades before they expel it all in a massive blast," He examined the captain in front of him, "You should run. This explosion has enough power to disintegrate your soul."

"What about you?" Toshiro asked.

"My soul isn't like yours. I'll be fine. Just go." Dengen replied.

"No, I won't leave-" Toshiro was interrupted by Dengen putting a hand on his shoulder, immediately after Toshiro vanished.

Alarmed Byakuya rushed over, "What happened?!"

"I sent him far away from here," Dengen responded calmly. "You should go too. You barely survived a Tempest before and that was my weakest attack."

"Let me worry about that."

"No. Leave. Or. Die." Dengen stated, placing emphasis on each word.

"No, I-"Byakuya started before Dengen placed a hand on his shoulder causing him to vanish as well.


	9. Prelude to Destruction

**AN: sorry for the shortness of this chapter, but more is coming soon. k?**

Toshiro appeared on a hilltop overlooking the outer reaches of the Rukon District, he had been mid sentence when Dengen did whatever is was that he had done. At first, Toshiro was angry. This Dengen has no right trying to tell a Captain of the Thirteen Court Guard Squads what they could or could not do. Who the hell does he think he is?! Toshiro raged internally.

But then his thoughts took a different turn. He began to wonder exactly how Dengen had sent him here nearly instantaneously. It wasn't Kido, that much he was sure of. Now that he thought about it he realized that none of Dengen's earlier lightning style of attacks had been Kido based either. It was as if Dengen was able to tame lightning itself. But before he could develop any more ideas Byakuya suddenly materialized in front of him. Byakuya seemed rather irritated and it didn't take much to guess why. Toshiro guessed he hadn't volunteered for his "trip" either.

"Dengen?", asked Toshiro simply.

"Yes."

"Do you think we should head back?"

"Perhaps...wait, do you feel that?" Byakuya asked suddenly.

"What do you- " Toshiro never even finished his sentence before he understood. "Is this...even possible?" Toshiro asked awestruck.

What had surprised them was the sudden spike in the Nova blast's already monstrous spiritual pressure. It was difficult for Toshiro to stay on his feet and he was miles away. Even at this distance, the attack had the feel of a Captain-level soul reaper. He couldn't even begin to imagine the power pulsating on Sokyoku Hill where the attack was soon to occur.

Meanwhile...

Dengen smiled to himself. Finally, I don't need to hold back my spirit pressure anymore, he thought to himself. As Nova grew in power he could feel the energy leaving everything around him, including his own body. He wasn't worried, because even if this drained him of half his power he could still survive the blast. It was everyone else he was worried about. People were going to die. It was only a question of how many.

Sephiroth stirred and caught Dengen's attention. It was surprising that he was still conscious. Green eyes met crimson and Sephiroth spoke, "So...This is how it ends."

Dengen raised an eyebrow, "You don't seem very upset by the fact that you lost."

"Lost?" Sephiroth asked, "You seem to forget that I 'died' once already."

"Whatever. If you come back again I'll just stop you again."

"Really? If every time you stop me something like this happens, then you'll have a higher body count than I do."

"What do you mean?" Dengen retorted.

"How many people will die in this blast? Thousands? Tens of thousands?" Noting Dengen's silence, Sephiroth continued, "When this is over you'll have more blood on your hands than I do. Do you think that the survivors will thank you? No, they'll label you a monster just like me."

"Don't act like you're innocent in all this! " Dengen shouted. "If I had let you do as you please, then there would be no one left alive to call me a monster."

"You-" Whatever Sephiroth had been about to say was interrupted by Dengen saying, "Shut up. Fall into hell like you deserve."


End file.
